Health tracking devices

TECHNICAL FIELD

0001This disclosure generally relates to health tracking devices.

BACKGROUND

0002Various devices are in existence that sense health information of users. For example, wearable devices may measure a number of steps that a person takes, electronic scales may measure a weight of a person, and exercise equipment may track an amount of exercise that a person engages in using the exercise equipment.

SUMMARY

0003In general, an aspect of the subject matter described in this specification may involve enhancements to health tracking devices which may promote healthy behavior. Devices may sense health information of a user. For example, a wearable device may measure a number of steps that a user takes and provide a user a report of the number of steps that a user has taken. However, these devices typically do not respond to health information for a user received from other devices. In a healthy behavior promotion platform, various devices may register with a healthy behavior promotion engine. In registering, the various devices may provide capability information that describes the device's capabilities. The engine may further receive a health goal of a user and sensed health information for the user from a device that is registered with the engine. The engine may then generate an instruction for another registered device to act on for promoting healthy behavior of the user. For example, the instruction may be for the other registered device to display a recommendation to the user for performing a particular healthy behavior or for the other registered device to change the type of health information of the user that the device senses. Accordingly, the health information sensed by one registered device, health goal of a user, and previously provided capability of another registered device may be used to generate instructions for the other registered device.

0004In some aspects, the subject matter described in this specification may be embodied in methods that may include the action of receiving device capability information for multiple devices. The device capability information from each device describes capabilities of the device. Additional actions include receiving an indication of a health goal of a user and receiving health information of the user sensed by a first device of the multiple devices. Further actions include generating a health related instruction for a second device of the multiple devices based on the health information of the user sensed by the first device of the multiple devices, the health goal of the user, and the device capability information of the second device. An additional action includes providing the health related instruction to the second device.

0005Other versions include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the methods, encoded on computer storage devices.

0006These and other versions may each optionally include one or more of the following features. For instance, in some implementations the first device is a wearable device. In certain aspects, the second device is an exercise device. In some aspects, the health related instruction causes the second device to change a behavior of the second device. In some implementations, the health related instruction causes the second device to display a recommendation of a particular exercise for the user. In certain aspects, the health related instruction causes the second device to begin monitoring particular health information of the user. In some aspects, receiving an indication of a health goal of a user includes receiving the indication of the health goal of the user from a health provider device.

0007In some implementations, generating a health related instruction for a second device of the multiple devices based on the health information of the user sensed by the first device of the multiple devices, the health goal of the user, and the device capability information of the second device includes determining a health model that matches the health goal of the user, identifying one or more user behaviors based on the health model and the health information of the user, selecting a user behavior that is enabled by a capability of the second device indicated by the device capability information of the second device, and determining the health related instruction for the second device based on the selected user behavior.

0008The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other potential features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

0009<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram of an example system for promoting healthy behavior.

0010<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a flowchart of an example process for promoting healthy behavior.

0011<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system.

0012Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0013<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a block diagram of an example system <b>100</b> for promoting healthy behavior. The system <b>100</b> includes a wearable device <b>110</b> worn by a user, an exercise device <b>120</b> used by the user, a health provider device <b>130</b> that indicates a health goal of a user, a healthy behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> that generates instructions that promote healthy behavior, a device capability database <b>150</b> that stores capability information of devices, and a user profile database <b>160</b> that stores profiles of users.

0014The wearable device <b>110</b> may be a device worn by a user that senses health information of the user. For example, the wearable device <b>110</b> may be a device that is worn by the user that senses a number of steps a user takes, measures a blood pressure of the user, measures a heart rate of the user, measures a glucose level of the user, or senses some other health related information of a user. The wearable device <b>110</b> may transmit the sensed health information to the engine <b>140</b>. For example, the wearable device <b>110</b> may transmit data indicating that the user's current blood pressure is 130/90.

0015The wearable device <b>110</b> may change its behavior. For example, the wearable device <b>110</b> may enable or disable monitoring functionality, e.g., enable or disable monitoring one or more of a blood pressure of a user and a number of steps of a user. The wearable device <b>110</b> may change its behavior based on instructions from the engine <b>140</b>. For example, when the wearable device <b>110</b> is already monitoring a number of steps of a user, the wearable device <b>110</b> may receive instructions from the engine <b>140</b> to also monitor a blood pressure of a user and in response, change from monitoring a number of steps of a user to also monitoring a blood pressure of the user. In another example, the wearable device <b>110</b> may receive instructions from the engine <b>140</b> to begin monitoring a location of the user and in response, turn on a global positioning system sensor in the wearable device <b>110</b>.

0016The wearable device <b>110</b> may register with the engine <b>140</b> by providing capability information to the engine <b>140</b>. The capability information may describe the functions of the wearable device <b>110</b> that may be enabled or disabled. For example, the wearable device <b>110</b> may provide the engine <b>140</b> capability information that indicates that the wearable device <b>110</b> is capable of monitoring a blood pressure of a user and the number of steps that a user takes. The wearable device <b>110</b> may provide the capability information in response to the engine <b>140</b> requesting capability information from the wearable device <b>110</b> or in response to input from the user requesting that the wearable device <b>110</b> register with the engine <b>140</b>. In some implementations, the wearable device <b>110</b> may also provide information to the engine <b>140</b> indicating inputs that the wearable device <b>110</b> may receive from the engine <b>140</b> and outputs that the wearable device <b>110</b> may provide the engine <b>140</b>.

0017The wearable device <b>110</b> may additionally or alternatively be registered with a user. For example, a user may enable the wearable device <b>110</b> to share information about the user by entering user profile credentials for the profile associated with the user on the system <b>100</b> and indicating that the wearable device <b>110</b> may continue to share about the user until (i) the user explicitly indicates that the wearable device <b>110</b> should stop sharing information, (ii) a predetermined length of time has elapsed, or (iii) some other condition has been satisfied.

0018The exercise device <b>120</b> may be another device that senses health information of the user. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may be a treadmill that senses a user's running speed, running time, and incline based on settings of the treadmill. The exercise device <b>120</b> may provide the sensed health information of the user to the engine <b>140</b>. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may transmit the user's running speed, running time, and incline on the exercise device <b>120</b> to the engine <b>140</b>. In some implementations, the exercise device <b>120</b> may transmit information to the engine <b>140</b> that indicates that the exercise device <b>120</b> is about to be used by the user. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may transmit information that indicates that the user has turned on the exercise device <b>120</b> or has identified himself or herself to the exercise device <b>120</b>.

0019The exercise device <b>120</b> may change its behavior. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may increase or decrease in speed or incline, or display prompts or recommendations to a user. The exercise device <b>120</b> may change its behavior based on instructions from the engine <b>140</b>. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may receive instructions from the engine <b>140</b> to display a recommendation that a user run twenty minutes at six miles per hour, and in response, display the recommendation.

0020The exercise device <b>120</b> may register with the engine <b>140</b> by providing capability information to the engine <b>140</b>. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> may provide the engine <b>140</b> capability information that indicates that the exercise device <b>120</b> is capable of operating at a speed between zero and fifteen miles per hour and an incline of zero to fifteen degrees. The exercise device <b>120</b> may provide the capability information in response to the engine <b>140</b> requesting capability information from the exercise device <b>120</b> or in response to input from the user requesting that the exercise device <b>120</b> register with the engine <b>140</b>. In some implementations, the exercise device <b>120</b> may also provide information to the engine <b>140</b> indicating inputs that the exercise device <b>120</b> may receive from the engine <b>140</b> and outputs that the exercise device <b>120</b> may provide the engine <b>140</b>.

0021The exercise device <b>120</b> may additionally or alternatively be registered with a user. For example, in the case of a user owned exercise device, a user may enable the exercise device <b>120</b> to share information about the user by entering user profile credentials for the profile associated with the user on the system <b>100</b> and indicating that the exercise device <b>120</b> may continue to share information about the user until (i) the user explicitly indicates that the exercise device <b>120</b> should stop sharing information, (ii) a predetermined length of time has elapsed, or (iii) some other condition has been satisfied. In another example, in the case of a community owned exercise device, e.g., an exercise bike at a gym, the exercise device <b>120</b> may provide user profile credentials to authorize the exercise device to associate information with the user's profile and share the information about the user, and may provide a user interface for the user to designate when the exercise device <b>120</b> should begin sharing information and stop sharing information.

0022The health provider device <b>130</b> may be a device that provides the engine <b>140</b> an indication of a health goal of the user. For example, the health provider device <b>130</b> may be a server of a doctor's office that is in communication with the engine <b>140</b> and provides an indication to the engine <b>140</b> that a doctor and user have agreed on a health goal for the user of lowering the user's blood pressure to 120/80. Other health goals may include, for example, increasing strength in a particular group of muscles, increasing flexibility, increasing endurance, losing weight, or other goals related to a user's health. In some implementations, the health provider device <b>130</b> may also provide information to the engine <b>140</b> indicating inputs that the health provider device <b>130</b> may receive from the engine <b>140</b> and outputs that the health provider device <b>130</b> may provide the engine <b>140</b>. The health provider device <b>130</b> may additionally or alternatively be registered with a user. For example, while at a doctor's office, a user may input user profile credentials for a user's profile and indicate that the health provider device <b>130</b> may receive and share information about the user until (i) the user provides subsequent user input to end the sharing, (ii) the appointment time for the user has elapsed, or (iii) some other condition has been satisfied.

0023The engine <b>140</b> may provide instructions for devices based on information sensed by the devices, capability information of the devices, and a health goal of the user. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may provide an instruction to the exercise device <b>120</b> to display a recommendation to the user to run twenty minutes at six miles per hour based on information indicating that (i) user's current blood pressure is 130/90, (ii) the user is using the exercise device <b>120</b> that is capable of speeds between zero and fifteen miles per hour and an incline of zero to fifteen degrees, and (iii) has a goal of reaching a blood pressure of 120/80.

0024The engine <b>140</b> may receive capability information from the devices (<b>162</b>, <b>164</b>). For example, in a registration process the engine <b>140</b> may receive over a network, e.g., the Internet, capability information from wearable device <b>110</b> indicating that the wearable device <b>110</b> is capable of monitoring a blood pressure of a user and the number of steps that a user takes and receive capability information from exercise device <b>120</b> indicating the exercise device <b>120</b> is capable of speeds between zero and fifteen miles per hour and an incline of zero to fifteen degrees. The engine <b>140</b> may store the capability information in the device capability database <b>150</b>. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may store, for later access, information indicating that the exercise device <b>120</b> is capable of speeds between zero and fifteen miles per hour and an incline of zero to fifteen degrees in the device capability database <b>150</b>.

0025The engine <b>140</b> may receive an indication of a health goal of the user (<b>166</b>). For example, the engine <b>140</b> may, from the health provider device <b>130</b>, receive an indication that a health goal of the user is reaching a blood pressure of 120/80. The engine <b>140</b> may store the indication of the health goal of the user in the user profile database <b>160</b>. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may store, for later access, information indicating that a user's goal is reaching a blood pressure of 120/80.

0026The engine <b>140</b> may receive health information of the user sensed by devices (<b>168</b>). For example, the engine <b>140</b> may receive health information from the wearable device <b>110</b> that indicates that the user's current blood pressure is 130/90. In another example, the engine <b>140</b> may receive health information from the wearable device <b>110</b> that indicates that the user has taken one thousand steps that day. In some implementations, the engine <b>140</b> may apply translation functions to translate health information that is received from a device into a common or unified vocabulary based on the registration information from devices that indicates the type of outputs that the device provides. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may receive information from an exercise device that indicates that the exercise device provides output regarding a distance run in meters and, in response, identify and apply a translation function for converting meters to miles. In another example, the engine <b>140</b> may receive information from a wearable device that indicates that the wearable device provides output on heart rate in the form of beats per five minutes and, in response, identify and apply a translation function for converting beats per five minutes to beats per minute.

0027The engine <b>140</b> may generate an instruction for a device based on the health information, the capability information, and the health goal of the user. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may receive an indication from the exercise device <b>120</b> that the user is about to start exercising on the exercise device <b>120</b>, and in response, determine that a user's goal is reducing their blood pressure to 120/80, determine that from a current blood pressure of 130/90 that long aerobic activities are generally more effective than short strength related activities, determine from the exercise device's capability information that a long aerobic activity available through the exercise device <b>120</b> is a run for twenty minutes at six miles per hour, and determine that the instruction for the exercise device <b>120</b> is to recommend to the user that the user run for twenty minutes at six miles per hour.

0028In another example, the engine <b>140</b> may regularly update an instruction for the exercise device <b>120</b> and other devices in response to health information received from devices, and in response to an indication from the exercise device <b>120</b> indicating that the user is about to use the exercise device <b>120</b>, provide the current instruction for the exercise device <b>120</b> that was determined before the indication was received from the exercise device <b>120</b>.

0029In other examples, different instructions may be provided to the exercise device <b>120</b>. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine that the exercise device <b>120</b> is capable of determining an effective exercise routine for the user based on a blood pressure goal and a current blood pressure of the user, and in response, determine to transmit an instruction to the exercise device <b>120</b> indicating the blood pressure goal, the current blood pressure of the user to the exercise device <b>120</b>, and that the exercise device <b>120</b> should determine an effective exercise routine. In yet another example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine that a health goal of the user is to lose weight and in response to sensed information from the wearable device <b>110</b> that indicates a number of steps that a user has taken, determine an amount of time, speed, and incline at which the user should run to lose weight.

0030In some implementations, the engine <b>140</b> may generate the instructions for a device based on registration information from the device describing inputs the device can receive. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine an instruction in a common or unified vocabulary, identify a translation function for the device to translate a common or unified vocabulary to an input usable by the device, and apply the translation function to the instruction in the common or unified vocabulary.

0031The engine <b>140</b> may transmit the instruction to the exercise device <b>120</b>. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may transmit an instruction that the exercise device <b>120</b> display a recommendation that the user run for twenty minutes at six miles per hour, and in response, the exercise device <b>120</b> may display to the user, “To lower your blood pressure event more, you should start running longer for twenty minutes at six miles per hour.”

0032In some implementations, the engine <b>140</b> may determine instructions based on health related models. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine instructions for reaching a goal based on a health related model reflecting an impact of different types of user behavior on reaching the goal. The engine <b>140</b> may generate the health related models. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may store user behavior and sensed health information of other users to determine activities or exercises that resulted in sensed health related information that indicates that the user engaging in the behavior would help the user progress towards the user's health goal. Accordingly, the engine <b>140</b> may determine a health related model that is classified as matching the health goal of the user, determine user behaviors that help the user reach their health goal based on the health related model and the health information, determine, based on the capability information for the device, a behavior that a device is capable of enabling that would result in the user engaging in one or more of the user behaviors determined to help the user reach their health goal, and provide a health related instruction to the device for the device to change its behavior to the determined behavior that would result in the user engaging in one or more of the user behaviors determined to help the user reach their health goal.

0033In some implementations, the engine <b>140</b> may additionally or alternatively determine instructions based on (i) behavioral information, e.g., kinds of exercise that a user does, type of diet that the user follows, amount of time the user spent relaxing versus working, or sitting versus standing versus reclining, or other behaviors, (ii) the health information, e.g., metabolic, temperature, glucose level, or other health information, and (iii) environmental condition information, e.g., noise level, smoke level in air, freshness of air, ambient temperature, or other environmental conditions. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine from behavioral information that the only cardiovascular activity that the user engages in is running, that the user's heart rate is moderately high, and that the freshness of air is high, and in response, determine that the user should run longer and at a higher incline on the exercise device <b>120</b> than if the freshness of the air quality was lower or than if the user engaged in other cardiovascular activities besides running.

0034The engine <b>140</b> may obtain the behavioral information based on user input that explicitly provides the behavioral information, e.g., a user indicating kinds of exercises that the user performs or based on other input, e.g., the engine <b>140</b> determining what exercises the user performs based identifying exercises associated with exercise devices that the user authorizes to share information about the user or identifying exercises associated with types of movements indicated by the wearable device <b>110</b>. The engine <b>140</b> may obtain the environmental condition information from sensors, e.g., a mobile device of the user indicating an amount of ambient noise or an air quality sensor indicating a smoke level in air, or from user input, e.g., a user providing input on ambient temperature through a mobile device.

0035In some implementations, the engine <b>140</b> may additionally or alternatively suggest behavioral or environmental changes based on one or more the behavioral information, the health information, or the environmental condition information. For example, the engine <b>140</b> may determine from the health information from a wearable device when a user sleeps, determine from a mobile device of the user that it is noisy when the user sleeps, and determine from behavioral information that the user does not sleep enough, and in response, provide a suggestion to sleep more, a suggestion to reduce an amount of noise when the user sleeps, a suggestion to reduce an ambient temperature when the user sleeps, or some other suggestion that may result in the user sleeping more.

0036In the system <b>100</b>, additional or other devices may be used with the engine <b>140</b>. For example, the exercise device <b>120</b> or the wearable device <b>110</b> may be a stair climber device, a row machine, or some other device that provides capability information to the engine <b>140</b>, changes a behavior based on instructions received from the engine <b>140</b>, and provides sensed health information to the engine <b>140</b>. In another example, the system <b>100</b> may include a stair climber or a row machine in addition to a treadmill.

0037<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a flowchart of an example process <b>200</b> for promoting healthy behavior. The following describes the process <b>200</b> as being performed by components of the system <b>100</b> that are described with reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. However, the process <b>200</b> may be performed by other systems or system configurations.

0038The process <b>200</b> may include receiving device capability information for devices (<b>210</b>). For example, the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> may receive, over a network, capability information from the wearable device <b>110</b> indicating that the wearable device <b>110</b> is capable of monitoring arm movements of a user and a heart rate of the user, and receive capability information from the exercise device <b>120</b> that indicates that the exercise device <b>120</b> is a row machine capable of adjusting a resistance of rowing. The device capability information for the devices may be received in response to the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> requesting device capability information or a device initiating a registration with the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b>.

0039The process <b>200</b> may include receiving an indication of a health goal of a user (<b>220</b>). For example, the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> may receive, over a network from the health provider device <b>130</b>, an indication that a user's health goal is to reduce a resting heart rate of a user to less than fifty beats a minute.

0040The process <b>200</b> may include receiving health information of the user sensed by a first device (<b>230</b>). For example, the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> may receive, over a network from the wearable device <b>110</b>, health information that indicates that a user's current heart rate is sixty five beats a minute and the user is making one row motion every three seconds.

0041The process <b>200</b> may include generating a health related instruction for a second device based on the health information, the health goal, and device capability information of the second device (<b>240</b>). For example, the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> may determine that based on the heart rate of sixty five beats a minute and the user making one row motion every three seconds that a user's work out should be more intense to reach the user's health goal of a resting heart rate of less than fifty beats a minute, determine from the device capability that the user's workout may be made more intense by increasing a resistance of the exercise device <b>120</b>, and in response, generating a health related instruction for the exercise device <b>120</b> to increase a resistance.

0042The process <b>200</b> may include providing the health related instruction to the second device (<b>250</b>). For example, the health behavior promotion engine <b>140</b> may provide the exercise device <b>120</b> an instruction to increase a resistance.

0043<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary computer system. The system <b>300</b> can be used for the operations described in association with the processes <b>200</b> according to some implementations. The system <b>300</b> may be included in the system <b>100</b>.

0044The system <b>300</b> includes a processor <b>310</b>, a memory <b>320</b>, a storage device <b>330</b>, and an input/output device <b>340</b>. Each of the components <b>310</b>, <b>320</b>, <b>330</b>, and <b>320</b> are interconnected using a system bus <b>350</b>. The processor <b>310</b> is capable of processing instructions for execution within the system <b>300</b>. In one implementation, the processor <b>310</b> is a single-threaded processor. In another implementation, the processor <b>310</b> is a multi-threaded processor. The processor <b>310</b> is capable of processing instructions stored in the memory <b>320</b> or on the storage device <b>330</b> to display graphical information for a user interface on the input/output device <b>340</b>.

0045The memory <b>320</b> stores information within the system <b>300</b>. In one implementation, the memory <b>320</b> is a computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory <b>320</b> is a volatile memory unit. In another implementation, the memory <b>320</b> is a non-volatile memory unit.

0046The storage device <b>330</b> is capable of providing mass storage for the system <b>800</b>. In one implementation, the storage device <b>330</b> is a computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, the storage device <b>330</b> may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device.

0047The input/output device <b>340</b> provides input/output operations for the system <b>800</b>. In one implementation, the input/output device <b>340</b> includes a keyboard and/or pointing device. In another implementation, the input/output device <b>340</b> includes a display unit for displaying graphical user interfaces.

0048Embodiments of the subject matter, the functional operations and the processes described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, in tangibly-embodied computer software or firmware, in computer hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible nonvolatile program carrier for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. Alternatively or in addition, the program instructions can be encoded on an artificially generated propagated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus for execution by a data processing apparatus. The computer storage medium can be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory device, or a combination of one or more of them.

0049The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit). The apparatus can also include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them. In some cases, the one or more programmable computers may be connected by a network to form a distributed computing environment (e.g., a cloud).

0050A computer program (which may also be referred to or described as a program, software, a software application, a module, a software module, a script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

0051The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable computers executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit).

0052Computers suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, can be based on general or special purpose microprocessors or both, or any other kind of central processing unit. Generally, a central processing unit will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a central processing unit for performing or executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), to name just a few.

0053Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

0054To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on a user's client device in response to requests received from the web browser.

0055Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification, or any combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

0056The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

0057While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.